SANADA
| birth_place = Niigata, Japan | death_date = | death_place = | resides = | billed = | trainer = Kaz Hayashi Kohei Suwama Osamu Nishimura | debut = March 13, 2007 | retired = }} Seiya Sanada (January 28, 1988) is a Japanese professional wrestler best known for his work in All Japan Pro Wrestling, where he was the first Gaora TV Champion when he won a tournament, a two-time All Asia Tag Team Champion, and a one-time World Tag Team Champion after winning the 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League. Sanada currently wrestles for Keiji Mutoh's Wrestle-1 promotion. As part of Wrestle-1's talent exchange partnership with the U.S. based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), Sanada is a former TNA X Division Champion. He is currently using the ring name The Great Sanada in TNA. Career All Japan Pro Wrestling (2007–2013) Sanada was trained by AJPW dojo and turned pro on March 13, 2007 in a losing effort teaming with Ryuji Hijikata against Katsuhiko Nakajima and Y28. Within a few months into his career, Sanada won his first honor when he teamed with Kensuke Sasaki and Nakajima to win the Samurai! TV Triple Arrow Tournament on May 29, 2007. Following the tournament victory, Sanada spent the next two years in opening match wrestling other up-and-comers and began teaming with Manabu Soya. By 2009, Sanada began moving up the card as he took part in his first Champion Carnival but finished last with no points. Later in the year, Sanada broke up with Soya and briefly teamed up with Osamu Nishimura with the two entering the 2009 World's Strongest Tag Determination League with Sanada even getting a pinfall victory over the tag team champions: Taiyo Kea and Minoru Suzuki but the team's run ended when Sanada suffered the flu and had to withdraw from the tournament. In 2010, Sanada once again entered the Champion Carnival but the results were the same as he finished last in his block with no points. By the spring, Sanada helped form the New Generation Force stable with Suwama, Masayuki Kono, Ryota Hama, and Manabu Soya. On August 29, 2010 at Pro Wrestling LOVE in Ryogoku Vol. 10, Sanada and Soya defeated TARU and Big Daddy Voodoo to win the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship. Sanada and Soya entered the 2010 World's Strongest Tag Determination League in the fall where they finished in 6th place with 7 Points. Sanada and Soya would lose the AJPW All Asia Tag Team Championship to Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi on March 21, 2011. During the year 2011, Sanada reached his full potential by reaching the finals against Yuji Nagata, but loss to him in the finals. He also entered in 2011 World's Strongest Tag Determination League with KAI and won the tournament by defeating Masayuki Kono and Masakatsu Funaki in the Finals. They then challenged the All Japan World Tag Team Champions Dark Cuervo and Dark Ozz for a title shot but came up short. They then faced each other in a singles match, which led to Sanada winning that match. After the match they both had an interview and Sanada decided that they should part ways and move on with their Tag Team which KAI also agreed on. In 2012 he then challenged All Japan Ace Suwama to a 60 minute match but also fell short in that match. He then challenged his former trainer Satoshi Kojima to match but also fell short after a Lariat by Kojima, during the Match he sustained a right knee injury but still wrestled and took a little time off to heal his knee. He then participated in 2012's Champion Carnival and lost to his former tag partner Manabu Soya. But he then won his first match against Manabu Soya's brother Takumi Soya and debuted a new finisher called "THIS IS IT" (Guillotine Dragon Sleeper). On May 20, 2012, Sanada and Joe Doering defeated Soya and Takao Omori to win the AJPW Unified World Tag Team Championship. Sanada and Doering lost the title back to Soya and Ōmori on June 17. On October 7, 2012, Sanada defeated Yasufumi Nakanoueno in a tournament final to become the inaugural AJPW Gaora TV Champion. After reaching the semifinals of the 2013 Champion Carnival, All Japan announced on May 1, 2013, that Sanada would be leaving on a learning excursion to Moncton, Canada, where he would train under Emile Duprée. During the excursion, Sanada lost the Gaora TV Championship to René Dupree on May 27. Wrestle-1 and TNA Wrestling (2013–present) On July 1, while still in Canada, Sanada announced his resignation from All Japan, taking part in a mass exodus caused by Nobuo Shiraishi becoming the promotion's new president. Following his resignation, Sanada traveled to Mexico on his own expense to continue his training. Though Sanada was not announced as part of Keiji Mutoh's splinter promotion Wrestle-1, he did make a surprise appearance at the promotion's inaugural event on September 8, losing to Kai in a singles match. Sanada and Kai had a rematch in the main event of Wrestle-1's second show on September 15; this time Sanada was victorious. On September 24, Wrestle-1 announced that Sanada had signed a contract with the promotion. Sanada wrestled his first match under a Wrestle-1 contract on October 6, losing to Kai in the main event of the promotion's first event in Korakuen Hall. As a result, Kai won the series between him and Sanada 3-2. On November 16, Sanada unsuccessfully challenged visiting American wrestler A.J. Styles for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. In early 2014, Sanada was offered an opportunity to earn another shot at the title, but he instead opted to go for the TNA X Division Championship. On February 15, Sanada defeated nineteen other men in a battle royal to become the number one contender to the title. On March 2 at Kaisen: Outbreak, Sanada defeated Austin Aries to become the new TNA X Division Champion. The following day, Wrestle-1 announced Sanada would be leaving Japan to work for TNA indefinitely. Sanada made his TNA debut on March 9 at Lockdown, where he, working under just his family name, teamed with The Great Muta and Yasu to defeat Chris Sabin, Christopher Daniels and Kazarian in a six-man tag team steel cage match. Four days later, Sanada made his Impact Wrestling debut, teaming with Tigre Uno to defeat TNA World Tag Team Champions, The BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E), in a non-title match. As a result, the two received a shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship the following week, but were defeated in a three-way match, which also included The Wolves (Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards). On March 22, Sanada returned to Wrestle-1 to successfully defend the TNA X Division Championship against Seiki Yoshioka. Back in TNA, Sanada and Tigre Uno were put against each other in a "best of three" match series for the TNA X Division Championship. On April 12 for The One Night Only Xtravaganza Show, Sanada would defeat Austin Aries in a Best of Three Falls X Division Championship match winning two straight falls to retain. Sanada would make another return to The Wrestle-1 show on April 17, where he successfully defended the X Division Championship against Christopher Daniels. On April 27 at Sacrifice, Sanada defeated Uno to win the best of three series 2–1 and retain the X Division Championship. On June 15 at Slammiversary XII, Sanada defeated Crazzy Steve, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Manik and Tigre Uno in a six-way ladder match to retain the X Division Championship. In wrestling *'Finishing moves' **Moonsault **''This Is It'' (Dragon sleeper with bodyscissors) – 2012–present ** Superkick *'Signature moves' **Backslide ** Japanese leg roll clutch **Multiple suplex variations ***Bridging dragon ***Bridging tiger ***German **Rolling cradle **Springboard dropkick **Standing moonsault *'Nicknames' **"Saint Seiya" **"Shining Star" **"Youth Hurricane" *'Entrance themes' **"Pegasus Fantasy" by Make-up **"Probability" by All Japan Pro Wrestling ** "Japan Rising Sun" by Dale Oliver ** "Cut You Down" by Serg Salinas and Dale Oliver (used while part of The Revolution) Championships and accomplishments *'All Japan Pro Wrestling' **All Asia Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Manabu Soya **Gaora TV Championship (1 time) **World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Joe Doering **Gaora TV Championship Tournament (2012) **Samurai! TV Cup Triple Arrow Tournament (2007) – with Kensuke Sasaki & Katsuhiko Nakajima **World's Strongest Tag Determination League (2011) – with Kai *'Total Nonstop Action Wrestling/Wrestle-1' **TNA X Division Championship (1 time) ** Global Impact Tournament (2015) - Team International (Bram, Drew Galloway, The Great Muta, Tigre Uno, Magnus, Rockstar Spud, Khoya, Sonjay Dutt and Angelina Love) External links * Profile * Profile Category:Japanese wrestlers Category:1988 births Category:2007 debuts Category:All Japan Pro Wrestling current roster Category:Big Japan Pro Wrestling alumni Category:Chikara Pro Wrestling alumni Category:Diamond Ring alumni Category:New Japan Pro Wrestling alumni Category:Pro Wrestling NOAH alumni Category:Tenryu Project alumni Category:Total Nonstop Action Wrestling current roster Category:Wrestle-1 current roster